---
title: What causes breast pain and how is it treated? | Niyora
description: Breast pain affects up to 2 out of 3 women and can be associated with PMS. It is usually benign, and most women do not need treatment.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/mastalgia-a-review-of-management-2005/
---

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- What causes breast pain and how is it treated?

Review, 2005

# What causes breast pain and how is it treated?

Breast pain affects up to 2 out of 3 women and can be associated with PMS. It is usually benign, and most women do not need treatment.

 Early or limited evidence

Women in their reproductive years

## What they did

Review article examining causes and management of mastalgia (breast pain) and its association with conditions including PMS.

## What they found

Mastalgia affects up to 2 out of 3 women during their reproductive lives. It is usually benign but causes worry about cancer. It can be associated with PMS, fibrocystic breast disease, and psychological disturbance. About 15% of women require pain-relieving therapy. First-line treatments include mechanical breast support, low-fat high-carbohydrate diet, and topical NSAIDs. Hormonal treatments are effective but have side effects. 60% of cyclic mastalgia recurs after treatment.

## What it means for you

Breast pain is common in women of reproductive age and often associated with PMS, but most cases are benign and do not require medication. Several treatment options exist for the minority of women who need pain relief.

2 out of 3

Proportion of women affected by breast pain

15%

Percentage requiring pain-relieving therapy

60%

Percentage of cyclic breast pain that recurs after treatment

## About the study

Original title Mastalgia: a review of management Authors Olawaiye A, Withiam-Leitch M, Danakas G et al. Journal The Journal of reproductive medicine Year 2005 Study design Review What was tested Mechanical support, dietary changes, topical NSAIDs, hormonal medications Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16444894/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16444894/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Diuretics and other drugs](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diuretics-other-drugs/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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